{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "manatee",
  "name": "Manatee",
  "scientificName": "Trichechus manatus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "Manatees are large, slow-moving aquatic mammals often called sea cows. The West Indian manatee grazes on seagrass and water plants in warm rivers, estuaries, and shallow coasts. Adults reach about 3 m (10 ft) and 500 kg (1,100 lb) and can live 40 years or more in the wild.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Sirenia",
    "family": "Trichechidae",
    "genus": "Trichechus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 500,
    "lengthM": 3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 24,
    "lifespanYears": 40
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Trichechus manatus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore (seagrass and water plants)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Warm rivers, estuaries, and shallow coasts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "40+ years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "200–600 kg (440–1,300 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "2.7–4 m (9–13 ft)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Warm Atlantic coasts, rivers, and estuaries from the southeastern United States through the Caribbean to northern Brazil.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "South America",
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Deutsch, C. J. et al. (2008). Trichechus manatus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Trichechus manatus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trichechus_manatus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.",
      "url": null
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/manatee/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/manatee/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}